Adaptive Filter Design For Noise Reduction in Electrocardiography

International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Engineering (IJETE) ISSN: 23488050
ICRTIET-2014 Conference Proceeding, 30th -31st August 2014
Adaptive Filter Design for Noise Reduction in Electrocardiography

1
Anamika Sharma, 2Rajesh Mehra

ME Scholar, 2Associate Professor,
1,2
Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering
National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Chandigarh, India
1
ABSTRACT
Electrocardiogram is commonly used to detect abnormal
heart rhythm. An electrocardiogram (ECG) records the
electrical activity of the heart. ECG signal is corrupted
by noise signal which restricts the correct diagnose of
heart beats. Adaptive filters are used to reduce the noise
signal from the ECG signal. In this paper an Adaptive
filter has been designed to eliminate the noise from ECG
signal by using LMS algorithm. In diagnosing the Fetus
heartbeat, mothers heartbeat can interfere as a noise.
The designed filter will reduce this noise from measured
signal by a reference signal which is highly correlated
with the noise signal. It can be observed from simulated
results that developed filter can separate out noise from
fetus heartbeat signal.
Keywords: Adaptive Filter, DSP, ECG, FIR, IIR
I. INTRODUCTION
Digital signal processing (DSP) is the process of
analyzing and modifying a signal to optimize or improve
its efficiency or performance. It involves applying
various mathematical and computational algorithms to
analog and digital signals to produce a signal that's of
higher quality than the original signal. DSP is primarily
used to detect errors, and to filter and compress analog
signals in transit. It is a type of signal processing
performed through a digital signal processor or a
similarly capable device that can execute DSP specific
processing algorithms. Typically, DSP first converts an
analog signal into a digital signal and then applies signal
processing techniques and algorithms. For example,
when performed on audio signals, DSP helps to reduce
noise and distortion.The main applications of DSP are
audio signal processing, audio compression, digital
image processing, video compression, speech
processing, speech recognition , digital communications,
RADAR, SONAR, and Financial Some of the
applications of DSP include audio signal processing,
digital image processing, speech recognition, digital
communication, RADAR, SONAR[1].
One of the most widely used complex signal processing

function is filtering, whose main objective is to alter
spectrum according to given specifications. The system
implementing this operation is filter, the filter may be
designed to pass a certain frequency components in a
signal through system and to block other frequency
components .The frequency range allowed to pass
through filter is pass band and the blocked range of
frequency is stop band. Various types of filters can be
defined depending on the nature of filtering operations.
Filtering operation for analog signals is performed by
LTI filter. There are various methods to remove the
noise of ECG signal by FIR, IIR and Adaptive filters
each has its own advantages and disadvantages. FIR has
finite Impulse response but it has more number of
coefficients so, it requires more memory space to store
its coefficients. IIR filter has less coefficients but it is
unstable sometimes because there is a feedback loop [2].
Linear filtering is required in many applications. A filter
will be optimal only if it is designed with some
knowledge about the input data. If this information is not
known, then adaptive filters are used. Adaptive filter
finds its application in Adaptive noise cancelling, Line
enhancing, frequency tracking, Channel equalizations,
Echo cancellation in audio signals, Linear prediction etc
[3].
Fig. 1 ECG Waveform

Cardiac cycle consists of one beat or PQRS-T
sequence. The cardiac cycle is measured on ECG from
one R wave to next R wave. The P wave shows the first
deflection of the cardiac cycle. PR interval represents
the time required for electrical impulse to leave the SA
node and travel through the atria, AV node. QRS
Divya Jyoti College of Engineering & Technology, Modinagar, Ghaziabad (U.P.), India
110

complex represents ventricular de-polarization. ST

segment represents the end of ventricular conduction. T
wave represents ventricular recovery or re polarization.
U wave represents the recovery period of fibers. Above
figure shows general ECG waveform. In biomedical
application of a dsp it is used to diagnose the heartbeats.
of a linear filter in response to an input signal and

generating an estimation error by comparing this output
with a desired response. An adaptive process, which
involves the automatic adjustment of parameters of the
filter in accordance with estimated error [5].
hM(n+1) = hM(n) +e(n) X*M(n)
II. ADAPTIVE FILTER

The usual method of estimating a signal corrupted by
additive noise is to pass it through a filter that tend to
reduce the noise while leaving the signal unchanged. The
design of such a filter is the domain of optimal filtering.
Adaptive filters have the ability to adjust their own
parameters automatically, and their design requires little
or no priori knowledge of signal characteristics [3].
Noise cancelling is the variation of optimal filtering that
is highly advantageous in various applications. It makes
use of a reference input signal is used. The purpose of an
adaptive filter in noise cancellation is to remove the
noise from a signal adaptively Fig.1 shows the diagram
of a typical Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC) system.
Here the adaptive filter is used to cancel the unwanted
signal in a primary signal, with the cancellation being
optimized in some sense. The primary signal serves as
the desired response for adaptive filter. A reference is
employed as the input to the filter [6].
In this paper an adaptive filter is designed for biomedical
application of dsp by using LMS algorithm. Generally,
the recorded ECG is contaminated by noise and artifacts
that can be within frequency band of interest. Here
maternal heartbeat signal is adaptively removed from the
fetus heartbeat signal by ANC [4].
Fig. 2 Adaptive Filter

Here primary signal from abdominal sensor is corrupted
by noise signal and a reference signal from chest sensor
or maternal ECG are applied to adaptive filter. Adaptive
filter separates the noise signal from the original signal.
Adaptive filter works on LMS algorithm to reduce noise.
This algorithm is proposed by Window and Hoff [5].
III. ADAPTIVE FILTER AND

SIGNALS TYPE
Heartbeat Maternal Mother's heart might produce
assuming a 4000 Hz sampling rate .The heart rate for
this signal is 89 beats per minute, and the amplitude of
the 2mV.
Fig.3 Maternal Heartbeat

The heart of a fetus beats noticeably faster than that of
its mother, with rates ranging from 120 to 160 beats per
minute. The amplitude of the fetal electrocardiogram is
also much weaker than that of maternal ECG.
Fig.4 Fetal Heartbeat

The measured fetal electrocardiogram signal from the
abdomen of the mother is usually dominated by the
maternal heartbeat signal that propagates from the chest
cavity to the abdomen. This propagation path is
described as a linear FIR filter, and an amount of
uncorrelated Gaussian noise is added.
LMS Algorithm: The LMS algorithms a linear adaptive

filtering algorithm, which consists of two processes A
filtering process, which involves computing the output
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of 0.00007.
Fig.5 Measured Fetal ECG

The maternal electrocardiogram signal is obtained from
the chest of the mother. The goal of the adaptive noise
canceller is to adaptively remove the maternal signal
from the fetal ECG. A reference signal generated from a
maternal electrocardiogram .Fetal heartbeat is recovered
from the maternal heartbeat signal. Fetal heartbeat is
much more than the mothers heartbeat signal. Maternal
ECG and Fetal ECG both are contaminated with noise,
by applying ANC noise as well as maternal signal is
removed from fetal signal.
Fig.8 Fetal Signal with Noise

The error signal contains both ECG fetal and noise
signal. Adaptive filter is used to separate out the noise
and finally original fetal signal is recovered through Mat
lab.
Fig.9 Noise Signal

Fig.6 Measured Maternal ECG
The noise is removed from the fetal heartbeat and we get

the desired fetal signal by adaptive noise cancelling.
IV. NOISE SEPARATION

The output of adaptive filter contains fetal signal and
noise. Steady state error signal contains both fetal signal
and noise signal.
Fig.10 Recovered Fetal Signal
V. CONCLUSION
Fig.7 Measured ECG with Noise
The adaptive filter use the least-mean-square algorithm,
(LMS) adaptive filter with 15 coefficients and a step size
From the above results and discussion the original fetal

signal is recovered from the noise signal by applying
adaptive noise canceller through LMS. Here primary
signal from abdominal sensor is corrupted by noise
signal and a reference signal from chest sensor or
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maternal ECG are applied to adaptive filter. Adaptive

filter separates the noise from the fetal ECG.
Maternal as well as noise signals are removed from the
fetal ECG.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am greatly thankful to honorable Director, NITTTR
Chandigarh, Prof. & Head ECE Department Dr. S.B.L
Sachan for their worthy guidance and help in writing this
paper. I am also thankful to the Director Dr. S. D.
Bhardwaj and HOD Mr. Alok Nath Yadav for the
cooperation in pursuing ME modular Program.
REFERENCES
[1] Prokis & Manolakis, Digital Signal Processing,
Principles-Algorithm and applications, Pearson
Education Asia, Forth Edition, pp. 1-7 , 2008.
[2] Emmanuel C. Ifeacher, Barrie W. Jervis, Digital
Signal Processing, Pearson Education Asia, Second
Edition, pp. 1-3, 530-534,2002.
[3] Simon Haykin, Adaptive Filter Theory, Pearson
Education pp.4,23,24, 2008.
[4] Suzanne M.M Martens, Adaptive Noise
Cancellation In Fetal ECG, SPS Research Symposium,
pp.1.
[5] Salivahanan, Vallavaraj & Gnanapriya, Digital
Signal Processing, Tata Mcgraw Hill, pp.631,634,647.
[6] Levkov C, MichovG, Ivanov R.Dask Alov.I,
Subtraction of 50 Hz Interference From the ECG,
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, vol. 22,
pp.371-373, Dec 1984.
[7] Christtov II, Dynamic Power Line Interference
Subtraction From Biosignals, J.Med Technology,
vol.24, pp. 169-172,July 2000.
Rajesh Mehra, received the Technology degree in

Electronics and Communication Engineering from
National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India in
1994 , Masters of Engineering in Electronics and
Communication Engineering from National Institute
Of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Panjab
Univsrsity, Chandigarh, India in 2008. He is pursuing
Doctor of Philosophy degree in Electronics and
Communication Engineering from National Institute of
Technical Teachers Training & Research, Panjab
Univsrsity, Chandigarh, India. He is an Associate
Professor with the Department of Electronics &
Communication Engineering, National Institute of
Technical Teachers Training & Research, Ministry of
Human Resource Development, Chandigarh, India. His
current research and teaching interests are in Signal, and
Communications Processing, Very Large Scale
Integration Design. He has authored more than 175
research publications including more than 100 in
Journals. Mr. Mehra is member of IEEE and ISTE.
AUTHORS
Anamika
Sharma
received
the
Bachelors of Technology degree in
Electronics
and
Communication
Engineering from College of Engineering
and Rural Technology, Meerut, India in
2010. She is pursuing Master of
Engineering in Electronics and Communication
Engineering from National Institute of Technical
Teachers Training & Research, Panjab Univsrsity,
Chandigarh, India. She is an Assistant Professor with the
Department of Electronics & Communication
Engineering, ABSS Institute of Technology, Meerut,
India. Her current research and teaching interests are in
Electronics Engineering and in signal processing.
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International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Engineering (IJETE) ISSN: 23488050

ICRTIET-2014 Conference Proceeding, 30th -31st August 2014